Ephesians 5 - Imitation Faith
Remember the old tag line "Is it real or Memorex?" That's how closely your life must imitate God!
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Ephesians 5 (ESV)
1 Therefore
be
imitators of God,
as beloved children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ
loved us
and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.
3 But
sexual immorality
and all impurity or covetousness
must not
even be named among you,
as is proper among saints.
4 Let there be
no filthiness
nor foolish talk
nor crude joking,
which are out of place,
but instead let there be thanksgiving.
5 For you may be sure of this,
that everyone
who is sexually immoral or impure,
or who is covetous (that is, an idolater),
has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words,
for because of these things
the
wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not become partners with them;
8 for at one time you were darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness,
but instead expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
13 But when anything is exposed by the light,
it becomes visible,
14 for anything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Look carefully then how you walk,
not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil.
17 Therefore
do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine,
for that is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
→ 22 Wives, submit
to your own husbands,
as to the Lord.
23 For
the husband is the head of the wife
even as Christ
is the head of the church, his body,
and is himself its Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ,
so also wives should submit
in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives,
as Christ
loved the church
and gave himself up for her,
26 that he might sanctify her,
having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 so that he might present the church to himself
in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
28 In the same way
husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh,
but nourishes and cherishes it,
just as Christ does the church,
30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore
a man
shall leave his father and mother